Alex Gleason-Is the Bible From Heaven-Is the Earth a Globe

8/16/2019 Alex Gleason-Is the Bible From Heaven-Is the Earth a Globe

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# 'Jr ‘.». m* W W

f i R r A / ? * X i X v n S V

1S™*BIBLElm* HEAVEN?**̂

SCIENTIFICALLY

GEOMETRICALLY« * « DEMONSTRATED.

m m s m

IS thbEMT a GLOBE ?


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I S T H E

B I B L E FR0M H E A V E N ?I S T H E

E A R T H A G L O B E ?I N T W O R X R T S

DOES MODER N SCIEN CE AN D ThJE BIBLE fIGREE ?

-ALSO-

AN ACCURATE CHRONOLOGY OF

ALL PAST TIME,CONTAINING A

CLASSIFICATION OF ALL THE ECLIPSES FROM

C R E A T I O N .

AUTHENTICATED' BY THE BRITISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION

tG F LONPO Ny -ENGLAND. - -

t lu ' - t- I ilL

S E C O N D ' E D I T I O N .

REVISED AND E^L A R G ^b BV " “

- fi .1 _ .E 2 i.” o - £ , E - & . s o i s r .

BOOK We-. ........ ............

T>1 LR IISHF IY -RV

T h e B u f f a l o E l e c t r o t y p e a n d E n g r a v i n g C o . ,

BUFFALO, N. Y ., U. S. A.


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C o p y r ig h t , 1 8 9 0 .

B y ALEX. GLEASON. .

R e - c o p y r i g h t e d a n d R e - w r i t t e n ,

R e v is e d a n d E n l a r g e d , 1 8 9 3 .

/


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i

j XL

r [~\0 that class of citizens who are

. known as “ Honest Skeptics,”

and lovers of “demonstrated truth,”

is this revised volume dedicated by the

Author.

We assign no man to oblivion because of a\

difference of opinion.

Let God and His Works be true, though

they prove all men false.

TXT

*


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HOW many extraordinary changes have we witnessed in

physical, as well as political and scientifical sc iences ,

and in opinions, as also in the individuals who have borne a

conspicuous, aind deservedly honored part, in the affairs of the

civilized world during the memory of the pioneers o f the present generation ! How impo rtant have been the results of

the numberless voyages of discovery, revolutions of society,

of states and .the wars, which have excited an intense interest

during that pe rio d: an interest which has been the more

constantly kept up, as the facility of communication between

all the branches of the great human family, w hich seems,, at the

same time, to have gon e on increasing in propor tion to themultitude of events and circumstances; the manifest evidence

of which truths are more strange, interesting, and of far more

importance to man, than fiction. Anciently, centuries wou ld

elapse ere the m ost important facts could pass the barriers

which an imperfect kno wledge of the navigation of the ocean

caused, or that the diversity of languages be regained, wh ich

the Lord in His wisdom confounded at the Tower of Babel, inthe yejir 2217 A. M, or 1782 B. C.


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VI FROM THE PUBLISHERS.

W e can but call the inquiring mind to the rapid strides of

art and knowled ge of every branch. • For instance: the charac

ters used in arithmetic, brought into Europe by the Saracens

991 A. D. Algebra introduced into Europe; by the same

nationality in 1412 A. D.

The age of Arabic learning lasted about 500 years, and

wa s coeval w ith the darkest period of the history of Europe.

But., as westward, the sun o f science bore its sway,

In the Bast, he closes the drama of their day.

In comparison with the present state of the world, how

small was the theater on which the god s of Grecian fable and

the heroes of Grecian history performed their parts in »

tha t interesting d ra m a! During the period of Roman history,

it is true, the field of civilization had become much more en

larged; but, in our own times, it has extended unto the

remotes t bounds of the inhabitable earth. In view of these

considerations, it becom es necessary for every well informedman, who Would keep his relative place during this advance

stage of society, to possess himself of all means of knowledge ,

which might have been•dispensed with in former periods;

the know ledge of the different sciences and arts, closely con

nected as they ever have been, having now more common

bonds of union than in the preceding ages.

"Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be in-creased . " W he the r this runn ing to and fro refers to the rapid

and n ume rous m eans of transportation of the people from place

to place, or the increase of know ledge in the sciences, or the

increase of kno wledge in reference to those things spoken to

the Prophet Daniel (as so me people think, which he was

com manded to close up " a n d seal even to the time of

the en d”); in either case, the fulfilment is manifest. Saysan eminent write r in quoting the Scientific American:


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FROM THE PUBLISHERS. VII

“ Within the last fifty years more advancement has been made

in all scientific attainments, and more progress in all that tends \

to domestic comfort, the rapid transaction of business among

men, and the transmiss ion o f intelligence from one to another,

than all that was done for three thousan d years previous put

together. ” ,

In union there is strength, provid ing always, that in th at

union there is harmony.

The publishers of this work have not united their efforts

for the purpose of promulgating the doctrinal tenets of any

theological denomination, or opinions of any set of men; but

for the primary purpose of giving to the public, such dem on

strated facts, as science from a critical Geodetic and Astro

nomical standpoin t may reveal. Upon the religious views of

denominations w e make no attack, but the author and com

piler is supposed to give only facts, such as bring to light the

infallible Word of God as being in harmony with the science of

nature, and there leave every man to choose for himself. The

writer of this work has spent much time and means in making

research, in the scientific archives of other countries, as well

as his ow n practical exertions to arrive at facts concerning those

things which the masses take for granted, and w hich things

are clung tenaciously to. by some persons who regard a popular

error of more value than an unpopular truth.

A great and lasting benefit to the readers of this work will

be der ived in the study of the chronological work as given in

this book and authenticated by the “ British Chronological and

Astronomical Association,” of London, England. The work

consists of a classification of “ All Past T im e” by cycles of

eclipses and transits, from creation to the present date. These

are so tabulated and made so plain, that the boy that can read

and comprehend the multiplication, table can give the date of


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\

VIII f r o m t h e p u b l i s h e r s . ' , ,

\ every eclipse, Lunar or Solar, that has transpi red since the

wor ld b eg an ; also, all future, on the* same principle; and all of 1

this with the simple know ledge of the first or lower branches

of common arithmetic.

With these considerations we commend this work to the

lovers of truth and reform.

PUBLISHERS.

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PREFACE.

“ Why I Believe as I Do,” is the Result of Truth

Demonstrated.

NO one will deny that by m aking practical experiments,

, and collecting undeniable facts, arranging them logically,

and observing the results, will give the investigator the grea test

satisfaction. “ An hypoth esis,” says We bster, “ is a supposi

tion, a proposition, or principle which is supposed, or taken

for granted, in order to draw a,conclusion or inference for

proof of the point in question—something not proven, but as

sum ed for the purpose of arg um en t.” A system* or theory

imagined or assumed to account for known facts or phenom

ena. This latter method often leads the truth seeker to sad

results and severe disappointments. (The write r speaks from

experience in this case.) Therefore, it is the purpose of this

work to offer such facts as have been dem onst rated, and to

that extent that they are beyond a doubt, or cite the reader to

the most simple means of demonstrating the propositions.

Whilst our purpose is not for the sake of “argument,” but for

sake of the truth, we propose not to exclude all hypothesis,

but ask the candid investigator and searcher for truth to give

demonstrated and axiomatical (self-evident) facts the pref

erence.

Again, it cannot be reasonably expected that with in the

province o f this small work, that the writer will explain all .the

phenomena that may arise to the thinking mind, or meet the


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\

I . 'X PREFACE.

fancied objections of the caviller. Therefore we will, in som e

instances, let one demonstrated fact on the point or prime

proposit ion stand as settled, until such a time as the seeminglyand kn ow n phenomenal objection can be removed or explained

by sonrie other cause. As “ truth is no part of a lie,” we may

rest assured that the latter must, sooner or later, die, while

th e former is immortal. Therefore, w e must conclude, and in

sist, that “ One Demonstrated F act " is no less the Truth,

thou gh there may be a hundred phenomenal existences appar

ently against it.

“ W h a t i s T r u t h ?” “ W h e r e a n d W h a t i s t h e S t a n d -

a r d ?” This is to be the first and prime interrogation of this

work. If there is no standard, then each and every man is left

to the merciless win ds of doctrine, blow n by every street vender

or theological quack. ]There is no book or platform suffi

cient to contain all of God’s tru th ; the “ five senses” are oursto exercise and improve, and while we would not advise inde

pendence of spirit, let us open our eyes! Be men, “ prove all *

thin gs ; hold fast that wh ich is go od .” If there is a divine be

ing who has given us our senses to act upon, and to jud ge

between right and .wrong, then w e are responsib le to that

being in proportion to w hat he has given us. Having been

very skeptical in our early life, and in our experience havingfound many who require demonstrated and infallible proof of

whatever they believed, we propose to give that which we

require— P r o o f .

R e a d e r , T h i s i s t o Y o u . It will be evident to every

thoughtful mind, that truth in the abstract (so far as human

agencies are concerned), is of tw o opposing natures. In order

for you to get the run of my thought, I will say without fear

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PREFACE. XI

of refutation, that there never was a c o u n t e r f e i t w i t h o u t a

g e n u i n e . This is axiomatical and needs no proof.

It shall not be the object of this work to promulgate thecreeds of men, but such truth as shall prove to be according to

that which w e shall, with out doubt, find to be the standard,

regardless of wh atever has been our preconceived opinions.

If, in the course of this work, w e shall sho w, th at th ere is a God,

a Divine ruler and maker of all things, and tha t the book which

we call the Bible is His will and word to you and to all; then

do not chide me if I shall depart from the text or title ofthis w ork to sh ow some of the mistakes of men. The Truth

that you and I want, is that w hich is “ according to righteous

ness;” not counterfeit. “ God is T ruth .” Jesus said:— “ I am the

way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,

but by m e.” “ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven

against all ungodliness and unrighteousness o f men, who hold

the truth in unrighteousness.' ' Rom. i : 18.

In order to satisfy ourselves in reference to certain princi

ples involved, in quotations already advanced, w e shall appeal

to history, sacred and profane, and shall use the latter, largely

to prove the former.

We will now ask you to follow us a few pages, while we

examine a few witnesses which we shall have occasion to use,

in case w e find them unimpeachable, and such as all can accept.

In order to do this work successfully, let us go to “ The

Law and to the Testimony” (Isa. 8: 20.) and call on some of

the Prophets that have claimed to write, “not by the will of

m an ,” bu t as “ moved by the Holy Gh os t.” (See II Peter 1:

20, 21.)

Prophecy is history in advance (Webster), and the longestline of this history in advance, which is given in summary and


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XII PREFACE.

detail, having reference to time, i$ found in the book of Daniel

. (Dan. 2: 7, 8, 9). This advance history commenced with the

first yn iversa l Kingdom, with Nebuchadnezzar, B. C. 603ye.ars, and is to terminate with the Fifth Universal Kingdom

of God, which is to consume all other Kingdoms and stand

forever, this King dom of the mos t “ High,” with His saints, and

a ll dominions in hono r and obedience. 1

N ow if w e shall find no discrepancy in this history, by

going over it carefully, and bringing other witnesses, sacred

and profane, from the first date (603 B. C.) to the present,what shall we conclude as to the inspiration and divine infalli

bil ity of the witnesses’ testimony? W e will leave you to

judge.

With these considerations, let us examine the history,

sacred and profane, for a few moments only, and observe the

rise and fall of the four Universal Kingdoms of this earth.

W he n w e have examined these tw o histories, if we shall find 1 9

them to harmonize, then we can no more deny their truthful

ness, in the prime afiirmation, than we can deny our own ex

istence.

W e will further add, and frankly confess, that the writer

' is w hat some migh t justly term a religious liberalist; believing

that every man is endow ed with a God-given right to worship

God according to the dictates of his conscience, providing, ,

always, that he will allow the Spirit and Word , which

always agree, to govern and enlighten his conscience, and

without the reception of the two God-given entities; the*

inner man has not reached the standard that would meet the

pleasure of his Maker, and he is therefore amenable to the

Creator only.*

W e have hea rd say, tha t “ All religious truth is derived


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PREFACE. XHl

from the Bible.” True! W e also r e a d ,‘'Eve ry Scripture is in

spired of God .” (II Tim. y 16, N.V .) “ W ithou t Faith it isi

impossible to please God.”But when fanatic zeal to man is wedded fast,

To some dear falsehood he clings at last.

And yet, unreasonable men will charge the Bible with all

the false doctrines the world contains.


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CONTENTS

I

\\

PREFACE.

From the Publishers.—Author, Why I Believe as I Do, is the Result of Demonstrated Facts.—What is Truth ?—Where and What is the Standard ? ................ ..........................., . .................. v - x i i i

CHAPTER I.

Tradition Against Truth and Reform.—History: Its Moral and Philosophical Relations.—Rules of Interpretation of Script

ure.—A Bible Reading.—A Prophetic Bible Reading on

Daniel and Revelation.—First Written and First PrintedDocument......................................................................... , . . ......... 1-27

CHAPTER II.

Infidels and the Bible.—Voltaire.—Thomas Paine.—Rev. L. A.

Lambert and R. G. Ingersoll.—Captive Maidens, Murder of

the Canaanites, etc ............................................. 28-15

CHAPTER HI.

Geology of the Bible.—Geology and Astronomy.—Creation of the

World, etc., According to Popular Scientists. (Seealjjo Chapter-

six.)—The Mosaical Record of Creation Contrasted with the Popular Views.—How was the World Framed?—Out of

What was it Made?—Purpose of Creation.—Other Worlds than This.—Do the Scriptures Teach that the Earth is a Globe ?—Do the Scriptures Teach that the Earth and Seas

Constitute the Earth?—Does the Earth Move or Rotate?—Of Importance to the Religious World.—Does the Sun Move?

Joshua and Dr. Adam Clark, John Wesley, etc ........................ 46-67


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CONTENTS, XV

CHAPTER IV.

General Summary of Conclusions, Inevitable from Evidences Pro

duced in Previous Cbapters.—The Stars.—Chronology.—Sun,Moon and Stars as Lights. (Further set forth in Chapter six by Dimbleby, Chronology.)—Glory of the Heavenly Bodies.—

Up and Down—Do they Exist Other than Relative Terms.. . 68—74

CHAPTER V.I

The Ancients; their History. Early Astronomers, Sages of the Present System.—Measuring the Stars.—Exploring Expedi

tion by Capt. Wilkes.—Arctic and Antarctic Icebergs.—Tycho

(Tyge) Brahe’s System of Astronomy.—Galilei Galileo. —Ab juration of Galileo.—Sir Isaac Newton.—Newton’s Insanity; forgets his meals, tries to demonstrate the motions of the Earth, but fails. Derangement of his Intellect; Fall of the Apple.................................................................................................. 75-102

CHAPTER VI.

Ann Pa st Time , by the British Chronological and Astronomical As

sociation.—Objects and Work of the Association..—Accuracy

First—Arguments Afterwards.—Explanation.—First Line of Time.—Historical Dates and Periods.—Interesting Events.— Christian Era.—All Past Years from Creation.—Important

Suggestions to all Nations.—Dates of the Sabbath Days dur

ing the Deluge.—Flood Period Concluded.—Antediluvian Solar Cycle showing the Dates of all Sabbath Days.—How any Man can Prove the Date of the Flood.—The Lunar Cycle.—Second Line of Astronomical Time.—Astronomical Method of Proving the Year of the Flood —Ancient Hebrew Solar Cycle.—How to Find the Years.—How the Solar Cycle

is Proved.;—Self-same Days.......................................................... 103-150

CHAPTER VII.

The Death of Abel at the End of Intercalary Days of Year 125.—

Remarks Concerning Years.—How to Find any Year on the Solar Cycle.—Sun Stands Still.—The Sabbath Days not of Hebrew Origin.................................................................................. 151-156

CHAPTER VHL

The Literal Week.—Long Lives of the Patriarchs.—The Eden

Above vs. Below .............................................................................. 157-164


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I

XVI CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IX.•

March of the Children of Israel from Egypt.—The Deluge, 120 Years to the Flood in 1656.—Result of Recent Discoveries.—

The Sojourn.—The Crucifixion.—The Captivity.—Cleansing < of the Sanctuary.—Daniel’s y ision according to Lunar

Cycles rAn Interesting Event, in Daniel 10: 2.—Prophetic

Periods are Cycles.—Interpretation of the Word a Vital

Point ........................ t............................ 165-186

CHAPTER X.

The Seventy Weeks and Twenty-three Hundred Days by Prof.

Dimbleby and by Prof. U. S m ith ............................................... 187-198

CHAPTER XI.

Day of the< Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.—Argument from the Types.—A Great Error of the English New Testa

ment Corrected.—-Another Mistranslation .................. 199-240

CHAPTER XH.

“ Vox D ei” or Eclipse Line of Time. (Psalm 19: 16.)—Eclipse of the Sun.—A Solar Cycle.—Eclipses from Creation to the Present by Lines.—A Common Team of Eclipses (70) Occur- ing Every Eighteen Years.—How Eclipses Prove any Period of History.—Prof. Morrison’s Letter.—Practical Use of Eclipses in Proving History.—The Crash of Matter and the Wreck of Worlds.—A Guage Proving All Past Time.—Chro

nology Authenticated by the British Chronological Associa

tion .—Sun Dial of Ahaz.—Seventh Day vs. the First.—Bible vs. History, Encyclopaedias, 4tc ............................. 241-262

S E C O N D F* A R T .

CHAPTER XIII.

Demonstrated Evidence that the Earth is not a Globe.—Webster on Straight, Curvature, etc.—Encyclopaedia Brittanica on Same.

—Table of Curvature or Divergence. —Tests onLake Erie,Erie Canal and other places, by the Author.—Suez Canal 100 Miles Level.—A Book of British Standing Orders.—Mr. Lockyer’s Illustrations.—Limit of Vision and Horizon Considered.—

The Apparent Concavity of the Earth as Seen from a Balloon. —Sunrise and Sunset. —Horizon Line by Dr. Hobot- ham.—The Sun’s Motion Concentric with the Polar Center.

—Noonday Sun.—A Midnight Polar Sun................................... 263-301


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CONTENTS. XVII

CHAPTER XIV.

The Sun’s Altitude.—What is the Truth?—The Sun’s Distance, etc.,

by Prof. Swift.—The Sun’s Distance, etc., vs. the Author.—AScale of the Solar System............................................................... 302-319

CHAPTER XV.

Extent and Form of the Sun’s Rays.—Day’s Length vs. North and South.—Prof. J. Morrison, Almanac' Office, Naval Depart

ment, Washington, D. C.—The French Antarctic Expedition.

—The English Antarctic Expedition.—Third Expedition.—

Antarctic Exploration..................................................................... 320-331

CHAPTER XVI.

Eccentricity of the Sun’s Path.—The Solar System, or Relative Size

of the Planets as Compared with our Sun.—Consistency of Distance, Magnitude, etc.—The North Star or Polaris.. . . . . 332-339

CHAPTER XVII.

Circumnavigation, Illustrated.—Gaining or Losing Time on Cir

cumnavigating the Earth.—Declination of Polar Star and

other Objects.—Refraction of the Atmosphere.—Distance and Dip of Horizon from Different Navigable Heights Above

the Surface of the Sea.—Scale of English Miles Correspond

ing to Nautical or Geographical Miles.—Scale of Minutes

and Degrees of Longitude Corresponding to English Miles,

Nautical Time, and Sun Time.—Longitude and Time, Com

parison of.—A New Map of the World As It Is.—Pytha

goras’ System of the Universe............................... 340-352

CHAPTER XVIII.

Perspective Laws and. Vanishing Points.—Jupiter’s Moons, etc.

—Transits and Eclipses vs. Orbit of the Earth.—The Rivers

Nile, Amazon and the Mississippi.............................................. 353-366

CHAPTER XIX.

Degrees of Longitude South vs. North of Equator.—A Challenge

Considered.— Authentic Records.— Log Book Record.—

Northern Steamships vs. Southern.—Thales vs. Dark Ages.. 367-381

CHAPTER XX.

Closing Considerations.—A Peculiar People.—A “Thus Saith the

Lord.”—Truth and the Glory of God Inseparable.................. 382-391


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XVIII CONTENTS.

Points from Popular Authors, Selected by B. E. L. J. Lovell, Vadis,

W. Va.—How the Continents Attract Seas—A Convenient

Diagram................................. 392-402

I

T A B L E S .

Antediluvian History ...................................................... 114

Hebrew History........................................................................................... 115-120

Christian Era............... 121

Summary of All Past Years from Creation......................... 121

Dates of the Sabbath Days During the Deluge .................................... 124

The Flood Period........................ 127-131

Antediluvian Solar Cycle, Showing Dates of All the Sabbath Days. 153

Each First Year of the Antediluvian Solar Cycle ................................ 139

Method for Proving the Year. ............. 142

Ancient Hebrew Solar Cycle (Insert) .................................................. 146-147

' How to Find the Years.............................................................................. 147

When Abraham Left Ur ......................... 148

March of Children of Israel from Egypt, etc ........................................ 166

Solar and Lunar Analysis................................................... ...... ................ 174

Dates of the Crucifixion and Besurrection ............................................ 180

“ Your Hour and the Power of Darkness.” ...........................................

214Number of All Past Years............... 245

Eclipses from Creation to the Present Time, by theitLines 248

Birds’ Eye View of a Common Team of Eclipses (70) Christian Era. 250 Solar and Lunar Eclipses (Prof. Morrison, Washington,D. C..U.S.A.) 252-253

Guage Proving All Past Tim e.................................................................. 257

Chronology......................... 258

Curvature of the Earth ............................................................................. 269

Log Book Becords....................................................................................... 377

Steamships’ Specimen Buns, North vs. South...................................... 379

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CONTENTS. XIX

CUTS AND DIAGRAMS.

PIG . NO. ' PAG®.1—Nebuchadnezzar’s Image................................................................... ‘ 10

2—Voltaire.................................................................................................. 32

3—Copernicus’ Orbit of the Earth.............................................. 79

4—A Ball or Circle 2^ Inches, (8) Eight Miles Distance .................. 82

4a—Alpha Centauri 221,000 times the Sun’s Distance, this the

Nearest Star.................................................................................... 84

5—Eclipse of the Sun—“ Vox De i.”...................................................... 241

6—Illustration of Divergency............................ 207

7— “ “ “ C on tin u ed ... . ,........................ t 273

8—Arc of Suez Canal, 100 Miles Level.................................................. 275

9—Lockyer’s Five Ships at Sea, No....1................................................. 276

10— “ “ “ “ “ No. 2.................................. 277

11—Limit of Vision and Horizon Line ................................................... 281

12— “ “ “ from a Balloon........................................................ 284

1 3—Scale—Section of an Arc vs. Two Miles Altitude ........................ 286

14—Sunrise and Sunset.......................................................................... 287

15—16—Horizon Line by Dr. Hobotham ................................ 289

17_18— “ “ and a Midnight Sun ............................................ 294

19—Noonday Sun ........................................................................................ 29720—A Midnight Polar Sun ........................................................................ 300

21—22-23—The Sun’s Altitude, Motion, etc ..................................... 304-306-307

24—Co-equal Distances vs. Altitude. .................................................. 315

25—A Scale of the Solar System ................. 318

£(>_27-28—Extent and Form of Sun’s Rays.......................................... 321-322

29—A Ship in the South Boundary of Ice .............................................. 327

30—Eccentricity of the Sun’s Path (insert)............................................ 333-334

31—The Solar System as Compared with the Sun.............................. 335

32—Polaris and the Great Bear.-.. . . i .................................................... 337

33—34-35 —Circumnavigation Hlustrated................................................ 341-34236—Dip and Distance of Horizon............................................................ 347

37—Scale of English Miles, Corresponding to Nautical or Geograph

ical M iles... . .................................................................................... 349

38—Scale of Minutes and Degrees of Longitude, Corresponding to

English Miles, Nautical Miles, Sun and Time.......................... 349

39—Vanishing Laws—Perspective Distances........................................ 353

40—Jupiter’s Moons................................................................................... 354

41—Transits and Eclipses vs. Orbit of the Earth ................................ 361

42—Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn................................................. 371

43—Diagram showing Longitude in Miles at any Latitude North or

South of the Equator...................................................................... 402


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I S T H E B I B L E F R O M H E A V E N ?

• P A R T F I R S T .

CHAPTER I.

Tradition flgaiQst Truth and Reform.

THE learned historian, Archib ald Bower, says, “ To avoid

being imposed upon, we ought to treat tradition as we

do a notorious liar, to whom w e give no credit, unless w ha t he

says is confirmed to us by some person of undoub ted veracity.False and lying traditions are of no recent date, and the g rea test

men have, out of a pious credulity, suffered themselves to be

imposed upon by th em .”— Hist, o f the Popes, Vol. I, p. i.

W e would, with due respect to great and good men, give

their opinions full value, yet not any the more so because of

their sayings being ancient; let them be proven.

Paul advised Titus to “ Not give heed to the Jewish fables,and com mandm ents of men, that turn from the tru th . ” — Titus

i: 14.

Since time immemorial until now, every advance step in

reform has been opposed by those in favor w ith authorised

versions, traditions, fables, and opinions o f men ; yet, while

we consider this work limited, we cannot refrain from giving

a few samples of this fact. The learned and famous Dr. Eckspoke against Luther as follows:

“ I am surprised at the humility and modesty with which


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the reverend doctor undertakes to oppose, alone, so many il-

lustrious fathe rs, and pretends to know more than the Sover

eign Pontiff, the councils, the doctors, and the universities. It

would be surprising, no doubt, if God had hidden the truth

from so many saints and martyrs until the advent of the rever

end father.”—D’Aubigne’s Hist. Ref., Vol.'ll, p. 59.

Sebastian Meyer gives th e following refutation of the

above : “ To have a thousand years w ron g will not make us

righ t for one hour, o r else the Pagans should have k ept to their

creed."—Id, Vol. II, p. 427.

“ An error is no bette r for being common , nor the truth

the wo rse for having lain neg lec ted ; and, j f it ever be put to

vote anywhere in the world, I doubt, as things are managed,

w he the r truth wou ld have majority, at least while the authority

of men, and not the examination [demonstration] of things,

must be its measure.”—Essay on Human Understanding, Book4, Chap. Ill, Sec. 6, by John .Locke, the grea t Christian philos

opher.

W e shall hold th at truth is of God ; tha t it is righteousness,

and not iniquity. The opposite of truth is ant i-Chris t; and, to

say the least, to those acquainted with the history of man, it

is as old as man , and, w e believe, older by far. If, then, w e

shall produce dem onstra ted evidence of our position, do notquestion the same by saying: W hy then has this universally

accepted theory been so long believed and ta ug h t? Great

names and titles we find enrolled on each side of all contro

versies; and if these au thenticate hypothetical tradition, and

satisfy weak consciences, then there is no error in the religious

buffoonery of Pagans, Mahometans, or any other religion that

fancy may bring forth, and it may be received with sacred and profound reverence.

2 IS THE BIBL.E FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.

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I

FOUR UNIVERSAL MONARCHIES. }

History: its Mora! and Philosophical Relations.

We can reason intelligently only from what we know,

and w ithout demonstrated facts our fancied k nowledge isworse than ignorance. W ith those w ho take no delight in

true history, the proverb may apply: “ W here ignorance is

bliss, it is folly to be w ise.”

It has been quite often remarked that all history is uncer

tain. W ere this true to the ftill extent, there would be no use-

in attempting to sho w the value of that w hich may be kn ow n

with certainty. While it is true tha t the detail or minute

events of profane historians m ay disagree, it is also equally

true that the more valuable part of history rests on immovable

monuments, which admit of no uncertainty in their prime

character and results. To the studen t of history, sacred or pro

fane, the decline and fall of great empires is no less important

and instructive than their origin and rise. To him who wish esto kn ow his approximate whereabouts in the history of man

kind, its physical duration, and tha t of his fellow beings, the

\ pleasure and perm anen t satisfaction does not consist in highly

colored pictures of crime, n or eloquence or rhetoric of the V

writer, but truth in its simplicity.

The facts of fo u r universal monarchies or kingdoms hav

ing existed on the earth in times of the past—Babylon, Medo-

Persia, Grecia and Rom e—no person of ordinary intelligence

will deny. History and historians, pyramids and monu me nts,

and excavated ruins, relics, etc., are too .numerous for any

successful controversy on the part of the skeptic. Further,

tha t so sure as there existed the first Universal Kingdom, so

sure there existed Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, and

Daniel, a Hebrew captive. To Nebuchadnezzar (in a dream)

was first given, and in the symbol of an image in the form of


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HISTO RY : ITS MORAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL RELATIONS. 5

children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."

Deut. 29: 29 . Also John 5: 39. Jesus com mand s us to search

the Scriptures. “ Surely the Lord G cd will do nothing, bu tHe revealeth His secret to His servants the proph ets .” Amos

3: 7.

While it is literally true that God will do nothing but He

revealeth His secret to His servants, the prophets, He is just as

able and willing to show to the idolatrous king on his throne,

His love for him and the devotees of the king's realm, and

reveal through God’s ow n chosen vessel His purpose concern

ing the human family.

We will now give a synoptical description of Nebuchad

nezzar and his kingdom, according to the well-known histori

cal records of various w riters, after which w e will give the

Scriptures an interrogation, letting them give their own in

terpretation. u

According to the testimony of the “ greatly beloved"

prophet of God (Daniel), Nebuchadnezzar had a wonderful

dream in the year 603, B. C., in wh ich he behe ld the kingdom s

of earth symbolized by a Great Image. This great image rep

resented by the Head o f Gold, Babylon; Breast and Arms of

Silver, M edo-Persia ; Thighs and Sides of Brass, G recia ; Legs

of Iron, the Fourth or Roman Kingdom. Dan. 2: 31-40. Theforty-second verse represents the kingdo m divided into ten

parts by the feet and toes.

Let us look for a moment at the most wonderful empire

the earth has ever contained or known, of which the city of

Babylon was thfe metropolis, and the talented king, Nebuchad

nezzar at its head. This kingdom arose from the old Assyrian

empire founded by Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah. Gen.10: 8-10 (margin). In prophecy it dates from B. C. 677, be

cause it then became connected with the people of God by the

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capture of the king o f Judah and his people. It reached the

height of its glory under Nebuchadnezzar, to whom this dream

was given. The metal used to represent this kingdom is thefinest of all the metals, and fitly represents the kingdom, ks it

was, in riches and splendor, the grandest of all earthly king

doms.

The city of Babylon, its capital, was laid out in a perfect

square, fifteen miles on each side ; consequently the whole

circuit of the walls w as sixty miles. These walis were three

hundred and fifty feet high and eighty-seven feet thick, with a

mote, or ditch, outside of the city of the same cubic capacity

as the wall, and filled with water. It had fifty streets, tw en ty -

five running each way, one hund red and fifty feet wide and

fifteen miles long, paved with polished stones. Over one

hundred tov/ers rose above the battlements of the walls. It

conta ined tw o hund red and twenty-five miles of inclosed surface,

laid ou t in luxuriant pleasure grounds and gardens, interspersed

w ith magnificent dwellings. The river Euphrates ran through

the center, with a wall on either side equal to the outer walls,

making thirty miles of river wall, or ninety miles of wall in all:

one hundred and fifty gates of solid brass, and hanging gardens

rising terrace above terrace, to the height of the walls them

selves. Am ong the large buildings was the temple of Belus,

three miles in circumference at the base; also the royal palaces,

one three and one-half and the other eight miles in circum

ference, connected with each other by a subterranean tunnel

under the river and its walls. '

Never before nor since has the earth seen the equal of this

city. See “ Rollin,” or Goodrich’s " History of All Nations .”

Babylon was succeeded by Medo-Persia, represented by

the breast and arms, B. C. 538, when Babylon w as taken by

Cyrus, and Darius the Median was placed upon the throne.

6 IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.


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I

Isa. 44: 28 ; Dan. 41.30, 31. This w as in turn succeeded by

Grecia, represented by the brazen portion of the image, when

Darius Codomannus was overthrown by Alexander the Great,at the battle of Arbela, B. C. 331. This Grecian k ing dom, after

passing through var ious changes, was finally all absorbed by

the mighty empire of Rome, which became connected with

God’s people by the famous league betw een the Jew s and

Romans, B. C. 161. W e unders tand from verse fo rty -tw o tha t

this fourth kingdom was to be divided into ten parts; and w e

learn from ' ‘Gibbon’s Rome” and others that this kingdom

was divided between the years A. D. 356 and 483 into ten

divisions.

Let the reader bear in mind that we are now examining

symbolical and typical Scripture, and if we take the plan that

'G od has ordained and given in His W ord w e shall mak e no

mistake. First, let us ascertain from God’s W or d w ha t this

rule is and then proceed, and I feel assured, kind reader, that

if you are a lover of truth and desire the fruit of its inevitable

glory and final triumph, you will find satisfaction to the fullest

extent. ’

Rules of InterpretatioQ of Scripture.

a. “ If there arise among you a prophet or a dream er of

dreams and give thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or w on -

come to pass ” Shall we believe this sign or wonder , al

though it is apparently true? Ans. (Isaiah 8: 20.) “ To

the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to

this Word, it is because there is no light in them.”

b. W he n a position is taken in regard to a text of Script

ure, and that text corroborates all others in the Bible, on the

same point in question, then we may feel safe to trust our faith

on the said portion of Scripture.

RULES OF INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE. 7


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c. 'Whatever disagrees with an axiom or a demonstrated i

fa ct, whe ther it be in the order of morals, philosophy or science,

it is “ falsely so called,” and is neve r harmless, and soon er or

later will reap its reward.

d. The Bible is its ow n expound er and does not neces-

sarily require outside matter to prove itself; man is simply to

give the Word. /

e. All terms used by the inspired writers of the Bible

must mean the same in one place as the y do in another,

providing that the same subject is before the writer of

the Word.

/ . W he n symbolical or typical language is used, it is so

st a te d ; and whe n so taken and so understood, it is the more

emphatic and harmonious to the lover of truth. Let us ex

amine the Word regarding these principles and we will find it

to harmonize w ith every w ell-established principle of truth.

And, reader, you and I have the same right to understand that

W ord that was given f , unto us and our children fo rever

that the priest, the judge or the king upon his throne has, for

this Word is to judge us at the Last Day, and the gates of

Hades shall .not prevail against it, neither shall it return unto

its aiithor void.

W e will n ow interview a few passages of the Bible (falsely

so-called pretentious book), after which w e will bring forward

those who have written for and against it, and weigh them by

their own standard or merits.

fl Bible Reading.

1. W hat does Peter tell us we are to know fir st ? 2.

P e t 1: 20.— “ Kno w this first, that no prophecy of the Script

ure is of any private interp retation.”

2. How did this prophecy come ? (New. V.) 2. Pet. 1:



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21 .— “ For no prophecy ever came by the will of m an; bu t men

spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.”

3. Since it cam e by the Holy Spirit of G o d ; for whose

' special benefit is it ? 2. Tim. 3:1 6,17. — Every Scripture inspired

of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,

for instruction w hich is in righteou snes s: that the m an of God

may be complete, furnished completely unto every good w o rk .”

(N.V.)

4. Does not the Scripture belon g to the laity as well as

to the priesthoo d? Deut. 29: 29 (last clause).— “ But the

things that are revealed belong unto us and our children for

ever, that w e m ay do all the w ords of this law .”

5. By w hat are we finally judg ed ? S. John. 12: 48.—

“ He tha t rejecteth me, an d receiveth no t my sayings, hath one

that jud geth him : the W ord that I spake, the same shall judg e

him in the last day.”

A Prophetic Bible Reading on Danie l and Revelation to show

the literal fu lfilm en t o f the Word:.

“ Behold the former things are come to pass, and n ew4 *

things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of

th em .” Isa. 42: 9.

6. W ho was Daniel? Dan. 1: 6.— “ No w amo ng these[captives] were of the children o f Judah , Daniel, Hananiah,

Michael and Azariah.”

7. W ho wa s Nebuchadnezza r ? Dan. 1:1.— “ In the third

year of the reign ofjehoiak im, king o f Juda, came Nebuchad

ne{%ar, k ing o f Babylon, unto Jerusalem and besieged it.”

8. W he n did Nebuchadnezzer have a notable dream ?

Dan. 2:1 .— “ And in the second year (B. C. 603, margin) of the

reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams,

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wherew ith his spirit was troubled and his sleep brake from him. ”

9. W ha t did King Nebuchad-

nezzarse e? Dan. 2: 31.— “ Thou,

O King, saw est and behold a great

image. *'

10. W ha t was the image com

posed of? Dan. 2: 32,33.— “ This

image’s head was of fine gold , his

breast and his arms of silver, his

belly and his thighs of brass, his

legs of iron, his feet part of iron

and part of clay."

11. W hat became of this image ?

Dan. 2: 34, 35 .— “ Thou sawest

iel till that a stone was cut out with

out hands, which smote the image

upon his feet that were of iron and

clay, and brake them to pieces.

Then was the iron, the clay, the

brass, the. silver and the gold

broken together, and became like

the chaff of the summ er threshing

floors; and the winds carried them

away, that no place was fo u n d fo r

them: and the stone that smote

the image became a great moun

tain and filled the whole earth.

IO IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I .

m m s m e

B.C.

NEBUCHAQNEZZARS IMAGEDANIEL il.

Fig. 1.

Note—By comparing Jer. 25: 32,33 with Dan. 7: 2 and Rev. 17: 15, we understand that the totndt area symbol of war and strife: hence, we conclude

it is the latter that Ood uses to depopulate and destroy th e political world.


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12. W ha t did the image represe nt? Dan. 2: 37 ,38 .—

“ T h o u,0 King, art a king of k in g s: for the God of heaven hath

given thee a kingd om ,pow er, and strength, and glory Thouart this head of gold. ” [As ‘ ‘king ” implies a kingdom , and the

following verse sa y s: “ After thee shall arise another k ing do m .”

W e therefore understand the gold to represent Nebuchad

nezzar’s kingdom and not Nebuchadnezzar in person.]

13. W ho took the kingdom following Nebu chadnezzar ?

Dan. 5:31.— “ And Dariu s the Median took the kingdom, being

abo ut threescore and tw o years old.” (B. C. 538.)

14. W ha t other direct testimon y have w e for the con

secutive kingdoms, following Neb uchadnezza r’s kingd om ?

Dan. 8:20,21.— “ Theram which thou sawest having two horns

are the kings o f Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king

o f Grecia: and the great horn that is be tween his eyes is the fir st

king.1’ [History tells us tha t Alexander the Great was the

first king of Grecia; therefore, we have direct and positive

testimony for the three first universal kingdoms of the world.]

15. W ha t represents the Fourth Kingdom? D an .2:4 o.—

“ And the Fourth Kingdom shall be strong as iron: for as much

as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron

that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.”

16. W ha t other specifications designate the Fourth King

dom? Dan. 2: 41.— “ And whereas thou sawe st the feet and

toes, part o f potter’ s clay, and part o f iron, the kingdom shall

be divided. ’ ’

17. Did the Fourth Kingdom bear rule ove r all the then

known world? Luke 2: 1.— “ And it came to pass in those

days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that

all the world should be taxed.” (Margin enrolled.) Th e fact

that: the Roman Empire had power to enroll for taxation the

whole world, shows that his jurisdiction extended thus far.

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History in abu nda nce corroborates this. Gibbon’s “ Decline

and Fall of the R )m an E m pire/ ’ Vol. i. Chap. 3, at the close

sa y s: “ The Empire of the Romans fille d the world; and when

that empire fell into the hands of a single person, the world be

came a safe and dreary prison for his enem ies.” To resist

it was fatal, and it was impossible to flee. “ Wherever you

art // said Cicero to the exiled Marcellus, “ remember yo u are

equally within the power o f the conqueror/ *

18. Whereas w e have learned from Verse 41 tha t the

Fourth Kingdom was to be divided. W e ask, were these nations

ever to have ano ther universal union ? Dan. 2 :43.—“ Whereas

thou sawest iron mixed with mirey clay; they shall mingle

themselves with the seed of m e n : but they shall not cleave one

to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.”

19. By #the divisions of the feet and toes we understand

there should be ten corresponding divisions of the nations.

W as this true ? The list which Bishop Llyod has given is as fol

lo w s: “ 1, Huns, abo ut A. D. 356; 2, Ostragoth, A. D. 410; 3,

Visigoths, abo ut A. D. 378; 4, Franks, A. D. 410; 5, Vandals,

A. D. 407; 6, Suevians and Alans, A. D. 407; 7, Burgundians,

A. D. 407 ; 8,Herules, A. D. 476; 9, Saxons, about the same time

476; 10, Longobards or [Lom bards,] abou t483-484 A. D .” Dr.

Gill’s comments on Dan. 7: 24.

20. W e learn tha t these several divisions of Rome were

accomplished by the incursions of barbarous tribes from the

north of Europe who conquered the empire. (See Gibbon.)

And these kingdoms still exist under the form of various king

dom s of Europe; thoug h there are some of them kno wn by

other names.

21. But wha t happens to these kingd pms of the earthy prior to the setting up of the Fifth Universal Kingdom ? Dan.

2: 44.— “ And in the days of these kings (or kingdoms) shall

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the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be de

stroyed.”

22. W ha t is to becom e of the inhabitants of the earth,and their earthly titles ? (Kings, etc.) Dan. 2: 34, 35.— “ Thou

sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which

smote the image upon his feet tha t were of iron and clay, and

brake them to pieces.”

' 23. W hat country do they inhabit? (35.)— “ Then was

the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken to

pieces together, and became like the chaff of the sum m erthreshing floors; and the wind carried them away that no place

was found for them.

24. And w ha t was it tha t filled the earth after the y left it ?

(Last clause 35th verse .) And the stone that smote the image

beoame a great mountain and fille d the whole earth.

25. W ha t w as this Stone or Rock tha t filled the wh ole

earth ? /. Cor. 10.U4. — “ Moreover, brethren, I would not tha t

ye should be ignorant, h ow tha t all our fa thers’ were under the

cloud, and did all pass through the sea. (2) And were all

baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea. (3) And did

all eat the sam e spiritual meat. And did all drink the sam e

spiritual drink : for they drank of that spiritual Rock that

followed th e m ; and that Rock was Christ. ” W ho can doubt it?

26. W ho , does the Psalmist say, are given to Christ for a

possession? Psalms, 2: 8.— “ Ask of me and I shall give the

• heathen fo r thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts o f the

earth fo r thy possession.

27. W ha t will he do wi th them? Ninthverse .—“Thoushal t

break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces

like a potter's vessel."

28. W ha t is said in Job in regard to the wicked ? Job 18:17,

18, 2 r .— “ His rememberance shall perish from the earth, and he

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shall have no name in the street. (18) He shall be driven from

light into darkness, and chased out o f the world. (21) Surely,

such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place ofhim tha t kno weth not G od .” * [Ou t of the world.]

29. But wh at does the Psalmist say in behalf of the right

eou s? Ps. 37: 29.— “ The righteous shall inherit the land and

dwell therein forever. '*

30. Once more, let us ask Daniel ip regard to the nature of

the “ Fifth Universal Kingdom ’ ’ ? Dan 7:2 7.— “ And the king

dom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under thewhole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the

most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all

dominions shall serve and obey Him .” Thus, we see that the

inspiration o f the Scriptures is vindicated by comparing

spiritual things with spiritual. ' P rophecy is history in adyance.

Further, we shall find that the Bible is not only “The Truth,”

but it is the whole truth, and the breathings of God through his

chosen prophets. (See question No. 2, Second Pet. 1 :21.)

31. Then, w hat is God, or a transcript of his cha racte r?

St. John In the beginning was the W ord, and the Word

was with God, and the Word was God.”

32. W ha t did the W ord become ? John 1:14.—r “And the

Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”

33. W hat was in the W ord ? (4th verse, 1st clause.) “ In

Him was li fe . **

34. W hat was life ? (4th verse, last clause.) “ And the life

was the light o f men. ”

35. Can w e get tha t life and light? 1, John 5:12.—“He

that hath the Son hath li fe; and he thathath not the Son of

God hath not life. ’ ’

36. How may we k no w that w e have the Light and Life ?

1, John, 2 :4 ,5 .— “ He that sayeth, I kn ow him, and keepeth not

14 IS THE BIBI.E FROM HE AV EN? CHAPTER I.


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his commandm ents, is a liar, and the tru th is not in him. (5)

But whoso kcepeth his word , in him verily is the love of God

perfected; hereby know we that we are in Him.”37. W he n shall w e partake of this glory? Col. 3 : 4 .—

‘ ‘ When Christ who is our L,ife} shall appear, then shall y e also

appear with him in glory."

Thus with the poet w e may safely say, »"Westward the course o f empire takes its way;

The fi rst fo ur acts already past,

A fifth shall close the drama with the day;

Time's noblest offspring is the last.”Fully the inspiration of the Bible is vindicated by those

only, who study and compare the wa y marks of history,

sacred and profane.

But to evade the manifest fulfilment of the Scriptures, in

fidels and skep tics have affirmed an interpolation o f the prop h

ecies, and denied the inspired infallibility of the book we

call the Bible. Therefore, before quoting largely from the

book, let us examine its m erits :

W e will first com mence with that which is apparent to

all, and needs no proof. W he n w ere the Evidences o f the In-

spired Word w ritten ?

“ First, there is an abundan ce o f Bibles in the land to -d ay ;

nearly all the civilized nations o f the ea rth accept it as the in

spired word of God, and claim to found their laws on it, to

some extent at least. It is estimated tha t about four hundred

millions of people receive and believe it. Is there any oth er

book so generally read, so generally loved, so widely diffused?

If you cannot name any book which in these respects equals

the Bible, then it stands out clear and distinct, and separate

from all other authorship; and with an increased emphasis

comes the qu es tio n: W ho wrote it ? ” Fables of Infidelity, p. 82.

We will now trace this Bible back a little, questioning the

INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. 15


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reformers and fathers for a few centuries: John Wesley, where

did you ge t the Bible ? Did you or your father ge t this up ?

“ No, the Episcopal Church had the same book for tw o hundred years before I was born, jus t the same as I have it to -d ay. ”

“About three hundred years ago King James of England

author ized som e forty or fifty chosen men to translate the Bible

into En gli sh ; therefore was not he the author ? No. Wycliff

translated the Bible into English three hundred years prior to

King James' time, and there is no vital discrepancy in the two.

Three hundred and fifty years ago Martin Luther translated thesame Bible into the German language, and this tells the same

story ; no interpolation yet. There are now nine hundred and

seventy entire manuscripts of the Greek Testament, of which

fortyseven are more than one thousand years old.” History

of the Bible by Prof. Sfowe, p. 63. Am ong them is the Vatican

manuscript, written about A. D. 300.

“ Here, then, w e have accessible to us manuscr ipt copiesof the Greek Testament, the most ancient reaching to an age

of fifteen centuries. The prou des t and most costly architect

ural structures of men have, within that period, either crumbled

and mouldered away, or become obsolete and unfit for their

original use, th ough built of the most solid materials and put

together with the utmost care, while we of this age can read

the sam e fragile page of books which were in the bands of men forty-five and fifty generations before us. ” Prof. Stowe, p .78.

“ It is about tw o hundre d years from the death of the

Apostle John to the first full manuscript w e have of the whole

New Testament, though we have fragments and quotations

from the very earliest periods, from the time of John himself .”

From the above we see that the same Bible was written and

read at least fifteen hundred years ago. But one very important era to notice w as the Council of Nice, A. D. 325.



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We quote the following paragraphs from the lectures of

H. L. Hastings, editor of The Christian, Boston, on the “ In

spiration of the Bible," as delivered to the Young Men’s Christian Associations of Massachusetts, in the T ow n hall at Spencer,

October 13, 1881:

“ I have on my library shelves be tween tw en ty and thirty •

volumes, containing about twelve thousand pages of writin gs of

different Christian authors who wrote before A. D. 325, when

the Council of Nice was held. The books are full of Scripture. '

Those writers had the same books of Scripture which we ha ve ;

they quoted the same passages which we quote; they quoted

from the same books from which we quote. Origen, wh o

wrote a hundred years before the Council of Nice, quotes five

thou sand seven hund red and forty-five passages from all the

books of the N ew Testament. Tertull ian, A. D. 200, makes

'mo re than three thousand quotations from the Ne w Testam ent

books. Clement , A. D. 194, quotes seven hundred and sixty-

seven passages. Poly carp, who w as martyre d A. D. 165, after

having served Christ for eighty-six years, in a single epis tle

quote d thi rty -six passages. Jus tin Martyr, A. D. 140, also

quotes from the New Testament, to say nothing of the heathen

and infidel writers like Celsus, A. D. 150, and Porphyry, A. D.

304, who referred to and quoted multitudes of the very pas

sages no w found in the Scriptures w hif h we have. Indeed,

Lord Hailes, of Scotland, having searched the wr itings of the

Christian Fathers to the end of the third century, actually found

the. whole o f the New Testament, w ith the exception of lessthan a dozen verses, scattered throu gh their writings, wh ich -

are still ex tan t; so tha t if at the t ime of the Council of Nice

every copy of the New Tes tam ent had been annihilated, the

book could have been reproduced from the writings of the

early Christian Fathers, who quoted the book as we quote it,

and who believe it as we believe it. And no w infidels talk

about the Council of Nice gettin g up a Ne w Testam ent. You

might as well,talk about a tow n mee ting gett ing up th e Revised Statutes of the State of Massachusetts, because the y say



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they accept or receive them. The Council o f Nice did no such

thing. These books of the Ne w Testament were received from

the Apostle who wrote them, and were carefully preserved and

publicly read in the churches of Christ long before the Council

of Nice was held.

“ Says Tertullian, A. D. 200: ‘ If you are willing to exer

cise your curiosity profitably in the business of your salvation,

visit the Apostolic Churches, in which the very chairs of theApostles still preside in their places; in which thei r very authen-

tic letters are recited, sounding forth the voice and representing

the countenance of every one of them. Is Achaia near you ?

You have Corinth. If you. are not far from Macedonia, you

have Phillippi arid Thessa lon ica ; if you can go to Asia, you have

Ephesus; bu t if you are near to Italy,*we have R om e.’

“ These Apostolic Churches received the Gospel from the

hands of the men w ho w rote them, and the Epistles were

written and signed by men who m they well knew. Paul

w ro te : ‘ The salutation of me, Paul, by mine own hand, which

is the token in every Epistle, so I write.’

“ Now w ha t did these men testify ? They testified thingswhich they knew. The Apostle John does not say: ‘Tha t

which we have dreamed, imagined, or guessed at, that thing

do we declare unto y o u ;’ but, ‘That which was from the be

ginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our

eyes, which w e have Ipoked upon and our hands have handled,

of the Word of L i fe .3 (I John 1 :1.) This was their testimony.

They testify that they saw Christ in His life and in His death;

that they saw Him after His resurrection, and felt His hands‘ and feet, and saw the nail prints and the spear wounds’; and

they k ne w these things and testified to them. They preached

Christ who had died and risen again. W he n a certain skeptic

said he proposed to start a ne w religion, and asked a friend for

som e sug ges tions as to his bes t course, the friend replied : ‘ I

would advise you to get yo u rse lf crucified, and rise fro m the

dead the third day.3 No infidel has succeeded in doing this.

“ Then the Apostles quote from the Prophets, and theProphets quote from the Psalms, and refer to the law which

l 8 IS THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.


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was given on Mount Sinai. And so w e go back from book to

book, until w e reach the book of Genesis, and that does not

quote from anybo dy or anything. You have here reached the

fountain-head.“ ‘ But,’ says one, ‘ I think the Bible may be a true

history, but tha t is no proof of its inspiration. It does no t re

quire divine inspiration. It does not require divine inspiration

to wr ite a true sto ry. ’ So you think it an easy ma tter to tell

the truth, do yo u? I wish you could make other people think

so. Suppose you go and read a file o f newspap ers published

just before the election (or the first reports just after), and see

if you do not think it requires divine inspiration to tell the

truth , or even to find it out after it is told. Tru th is migh ty

hard to get at, as you can see by perusing the daily papers on

the eve of an election.

“ There are certain things in the Bible which, to my

mind, bear the impress of divinity. A skep tic will tell you

w hat a race of *old sinners’ we read about in the Bible. Noah

got drunk; David was guilty of adultery and m urder; Solomon

was an idolater and w rought folly; Peter denied his Lord, and

Judas sold Him for thirty pieces of silver. All these people tha t

the Bible talks to us so much about are a pretty sort of m e n !

Very well, w ha t kind of men do you expect to read about in

the Bible ? Noah go t dr u n k ! Is that strange ? Did no one

else ever get drun k ? Peter cursed and swore . Are there no t

men about here w ho curse and sw ea r? Judas, an Apostle,

sold his Lord, who said he had chosen twelve, and one of

them wa s a devil. Do you not find a Judas in the Church even

now ada ys? One in twelve was a thief and a traitor then,

and we need not be surprised if we find about the same aver

age now. But you seem to think th at whe n you read about

a man in the Bible he is sure to be free from all kinds of errors,

frailties, faults and sins. You have formed this idea of men

from reading in Sunday-school books about good children,

who usually die young, or perusing excellent biographies,

which, as you read them, cause you to exclaim: ‘ I wish I could be as good a man as he was, but I never shall.’ If you knew



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I

* * 1 »)


the whole story about the man, you might not feel so deeply

on the subject.

“ Do you suppose that if the Bible had been revised by acommittee of eminen t divines, and published by som e gre at

religious society, we should ever have heard of Noah’s drunk

enness, of Jacob’s cheating, of Paul and Barnabas’ quarrelling, 'or of Peter’s lying, cursing or dissem bling ? Not at all. The

good men, w he n they came to such an incident, would have

said : ‘ There is no use in say ing anyth ing abou t that ; it is all

past and gone; it Avill not help anything, and it will only hurt

the cause/ [Applause.] If a comm ittee of such eminentdivines had prepared the Bible, you would have go t a biography

of men whose characters were patterns of piety and propriety,

instead of poor sinners as they were.

“ Sometimes a man writes his ow n diary, and it happens

that he leaves ou t all the mean tricks he ever did, because he

expects peradventure it may be printed after he is dead, but

puts in all the good acts he can think o f ; and you read the

papers with astonishment, and think, ‘W hat a wonderful good (man he wa s! ’ But whe n the Almighty wri tes a man’s life He ' .

tells the truth about him; and there are not many who would

w an t their lives printed if the Almighty wrote them. # i

“ Suppose a you ng man goes, say from h er et o Boston.

Perhaps he is a rich man’s son, who has more money than was

good for him at home, and who comes to the city to see the

sigh ts. He sails around the *Black Sea,’ and slips into various ports that are not exactly safe, and the next morning finds him

hauled up before his Honor in the police court. You ge t the

morning paper, and you expect to find the full particulars ofthe case. You do, do you? You find a paragraph on this

wi se : ‘A certain y ou ng man from the rural districts came to

town yesterday, sailed around in different parts of the city, and

fell into rather bad company. This morn ing he was brought

up before his Honor, who admonished him to be more careful

in the future, and he departed a sad der and wise r man.’ This

is the k ind of a paragraph you will find in the papers w hen arich man’s son comes to the city, goes on a spree, and gets his


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head sma shed and his eye bange d in a fight. You do n’t get

many particulars. But if he is a poor vagabond , w ithou t a

second shift to his back, you can g et his nam e, and perhapsthe genealogy for generations, and all the particulars o f his

case. This is the w ay men write history; but when the Lord

undertakes to tell His history or story o f a sinful man, He does

' not select a poor, miserable beg gar and sh ow him up. He

does not give even the name of the guilty woman who bathed

the Saviour’s feet with her tears; but He takes K ing David

from the throne, and sets him down in sackc loth and ashes,

and wrin gs from his heart the cr y : *Have mercy upon me, OGod, according to thy loving kindness; according to thy ten

der mercies blot out all- my transgressions.’

“ And whe n he is pardoned, forgiven, cleansed and made

white r th a a snow, the pen of inspiration w rites dow n the dark,

dam ning record o f his crimes, and the king on his throne has

not power, or wealth, or influence enough to blot the page;

and it goes into history for infidels to scoff at for three thousand

years. W ho wrote that ?“ You find a man wh o will tell the truth abo ut kings,

warriors, princes and presidents to-day, and you may be quite

sure tha t he has within him the Holy Ghost. And a book

which tells the faults of those who wrote it , and which says to

you that ‘there is none righteous, no, not one,’ bears in it the

marks of a true b o o k ; for w e all kn ow that men have faults and

failings, and sins, and among all the men described in the book,

every man whose life is recorded has some defect, some blot,

save one, and that is ‘the man Christ Jes us.’

“ Men love objections, and so the y say there are difficul

ties, absurdities, errors and contradictions in the Bible. W e

have all heard such assertions. After spea king once in the

city of Boston, an ex-minister came to me and told me that the

Bible wa s not true, for there w as that story which Moses told

about the quails. Israel lusted after flesh, and the Lord sent

them quails to eat, and they fell by the camp a day’s journeyon each side, or over a territory forty miles across, and they

were tw o cubits deep on the ground, and the Israelites ate them

INSPIRATION OF TH E BIBLE. 21

t


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for about a month. I have in my possession an infidel paper,

which was published in Boston, in which there is about a

column of arg uments and figures on this ‘quail st or y; ’ givingan estimate of the n um ber o f bushels of quails that wer e piled

up over the country, and showing that when they were divided

am ong the six million Israelites, each Jew would have 2,888,643

bushels of quails, which they were to eat during the month,

giv ing each poor Israelite 69,520 bushels of quails to each meal

during the month; and therefore, the Bible was not true!!

That is the sort of food our skeptical friends like to eat. Th at

is the meat on which these Caesars grow so wondrous great.. I said to this gen tleman, ‘ The Bible does not say any such

th in g ! ’ He replied that it certainly d id ; bu tJ answ ered tha t it

did no t say any such thing. He insisted tha t it did. ‘Well ,’

said I, ‘find i t ! ' And w he n you ask an infidel to find any

th ing in the Bible, you generally have him. He could not find

the place; s o l turned over to the eleventh chapter of Numbers,

and there read that instead of the birds being packed like cord-

wood , on the ground, three feet deep, the account says that

the Lord brou gh t the quails from the sea, and let them fall by

the camp, as it were, ‘t w o cubits high ,’ or about three feet

high upon or above the face of the earth. That is, instead of

flying over head and ou t of reach, the y were bro ught in about

three feet high, w here anyone could take as many of them as

the y chose. And this skeptical friend had to get the birds

packed solid, three feet deep, over a territory forty miles across.

As if som e one should say tha t a flock of geese flew as high

as Bunker Hill Monument, and we should insist that they were

packed solid from the ground up to tw o hundred and tw enty-

one feet high! This is a sample of the kind of argumen ts

which infidels bring to prove tha t the Bible is not true! The

revelations of prophecy are facts which exhibit the divine con

science. So long as Babylon is in heaps, so long as Nineveh

lies empty, void, and waste; so long as Egypt is the basest

of kingdoms; so long as Tyre is a place for the spreading of

nets in the m idst of the se a ; so long as Israel is scattered amongall nations ; so long as Jerusalem is trodden under'foo t of Geh-

2 2 IS THE BIBLE FROM HE AV EN? CHAPTER I.


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INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. 2 ) *

tiles; so long as the grea t empires of the world march on in

their predicted course,—so long we have proof that one omn is

cient Mind dictated that Book, and ‘prophecy came notin the

olden time by the will of m an .’ The authorship of the Book is

wo nde rful.” End of H. L. Hastin gs’ lecture.

“ After the endurance of pagan persecution for three hu n

dred years on the part of the Christians, Constantine, the Ro

man Emperor, embraced Christianity. Three hundred and

eighteen bishops of all nations, and man y priests, were gathered

at this council, the Emperor Constantine presiding in person.

By this council the books of the Bible were investigated care

fully, and published to the world . ‘ Here,’ says the skeptic,

‘ is opportun ity for interpolation or Bib le-making.’ Let us

see ho w much truth, if any, in this statement.

“ There did exist then, undeniably , in the year 325 large

numbers of Christian churches in the Roman Empire (which

fi lled the world), sufficiently numerous to make it politic, inthe opinion of infidels, for a candidate for the Empire to profess

Christianity; sufficiently powerful to secure his success, not

withstanding the desperate struggle of the heathen party; and

sufficiently religious, or if you like, supersti tious, to make it

politic for an emperor and his poli ticians to give up the senate ,

the court, the camp, the chase, and the theatre, and weary

1 themselves with long prayers and long speeches of preachersabout Bible religion. How came it so ? for these men, preach

ers, prince and people were bro ug ht up to worship Jupiter and

thirty thousand gods of Olympus, after the heathen fashion,

and left the care of religion to heathen priests, who never

troubled their heads about books or doctrines, after they had

offered their sacrifices.

“ In all the records of the world there is no instance of ageneral council of heathen priests to settle the religion of the


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people. The Council of Nice and the Emperor Constantine

and his counsellors mak ing a Bible, is proof of a wonderful

revolution in the wor ld ’s religion,—a phen omenon far moresurprising than if the Secretaries of State, and the Senate and

the President should leave the Capitol and post off to Boston

to attend the meetings of a Methodist Conference, assembled

to mak e a hym n-bo ok. How did they all get religion ? How

did they get it so sudde nly ? Ho w did they get so much of it ?

Th e infidel gives no answer, except to tell us tha t the austerity,

purity and zeal of the first Christians, their good discipline,their belief in the resurrection and the general judgment, and

their persuasion tha t ‘Christ and His Apostles wroug ht miracles,

had made a great man y converts.' [Gibbon .] This is just as

if I inquired ho w a grea t fire originated, and you tell me tha t

it burn ed fast because it wa s very hot. W ha t I wan t to kno w

is how it happened that these licentious Greeks and Romans

and Asiatics became austere and pure; how these frivolous philosophers suddenly became so zealous about religion; what

implanted the belief of the resurrection of the body and of the

judgm ent to come, in the skeptical minds of the heathen scof

fers; and ho w did the pagans of Italy, Egypt, Germany and

Britain com e to believe in the miracles of one who lived hundreds

of years before, and thousands of miles away, or to care a stra w

w he the r the writ ten accounts of them wer e true or false ? Accord ing to the infidel’s account, the Council of Nice and the

Emperor Constantine’s Bible-making is a most extraordinary

business—a phenomenon without any natura l cause (and they

will admit of no supernatural), a greater miracle than any re

corded in the Bible.

“ If we inquire, how eve r, of the parties attend ing that coun

cil, w ha t the state of the case is, w e shall learn tha t they believed—w hethe r truly or erroneously, w e are not inquiring, but

24 is THE BIBLE FROM HEAVEN ? CHAPTER I.#


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they believed—that a teacher sent from God had appeared in

Palestine tw o hundred and ninety years before, and had taug ht

this religion wh ich they had embraced. (Fables of Infidelity, pp. 87-88.) But a difference o f opinion had g row n up as to the

exact nature of this teacher in whom they believed, wh ethe r he

we re an angel from Heaven or God Himself. They assembled

to discuss this solemn question, and through th e whole of the

discussions both sides appealed to the writings of the Apostles,

as being then well known, and of unquestionable authority

with everyone w ho had part in the discussion. These facts, being utterly indisputable, are acknowledged by all persons,

Infidel or Christian, at all acquain ted with history. Here, then,

w e have the books of the New Testament at the Council of

Nice well known to the world; and the council , so far from

giving any authority to them, bow ing to theirs,—both Arian

and Orthodox, with one consent, acknowledged the whole

Christian wor ld and received them as the wri tings of the

Apostles of Christ. * •

" There were venerable men of fourscore and ten at that

council; if these books had been f ir s t introduced in their life

time, they must have kno wn it. There were men there w hose

parents had heard the Scrip tures read in church from their

childhood, and so could not be imposed upon with a ne w Bible.

The New Testament could not be less than three generations

old, else one or the other of the disputants would have exposed

the novelty of its introduction from his ow n information. The

Council of Nice then did not make the N ew Testamen t. It was

a book well known , ancient, of undoubted authority a mo ng

all Christians, ages before tha t council. ‘The existence of

New Testament Scriptures, then, ages before the Council of

Nice, is a great fact.' (Fables of Infidelity, p. 70.)

'* But as our work demands brevity, we pass over ninety-


*


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nine hundredths of detail testimony and come to that of Poly-

Carp, a pupil of the Apostle John, as found in Eusebiu s: ‘If

at any time I met with one who had conversed with the elders,I inquired after the sayings o f the elders; wha t Andrew or

Peter said; or w ha t Phillip, Thomas, or James had said; w ha t

John or Matthew, or wh at any other of the disciples of the Lord

were won t to say. ’ ‘This writer gives a valuable testimony

in regard to Gospels, Matthew and Mark, First Epistle of Peter

and John. Also mentions the Acts and the Book of Revela

tion. Thus we have ascended to the Apostolic age. But we\

may reach still higher. W e have in our possession the well-

authenticated writings of four individuals and Fathers in. the

Primitive Church, who, because they were contemporary w ith

the Apostles, are called Apostolical Fathers. Tw o of them,

Clement and Hermas, are mentioned by name in the New

Tes tam ent; the third, Poly carp, was an immediate disciple of

St. John; the fourth, Ignatius, enjoyed the privilege of frequent

intercourse w ith the Apostles. There is scarcely a book of the

New Testament which one or another of these wri ters has not

quoted or alluded to. Thoug h wha t is extan t of their wo rk is

very little, it contains m ore than tw o hundred and twenty quo

tations, or allusions to the writin gs of our sacred volume, in

which they are uniformly treated with reverence, belonging to

inspired books and entitled, ‘T he Sacred S criptures ;’ ‘ The

Oracles of the Lord. ’ (Mcllvain’s Evidences of Christianity,

pp. 72-75.”) 'Taken from Canright’s Bible from Heaven.

Thus w e have ascended the line of testimony into the

presence of the Apostles. Our evidence has been collected

from only a few out of the many witnesses that might have

been ci ted. The argument is now, therefore, reduced to th is :

Th e Apostles and disciples o f Christ are kno wn to have left some

writings. That these writings have been lost none can give a



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reason for believing. It is not pre tend ed that any o ther volume

than that of the Ne w Testam ent contains them. The books

contained in this volume were considered to be the writings ofthe Apostles by the who le Christian Church, as far back as

those who were their contemporaries and companions, being

continually quo ted and alluded to as such. It was impossible

that such witnesses should be deceived. Contem poraries and

companions m ust have kn ow n wh ether they quoted the genu

i n e wo rks of the Apostles, or forgeries pretending their names.

Our evidence, therefore, is complete. W hat I have presentedexceeds above measure the evidence for the authenticity of any

other ancient book. Should the fifth part of it be required for

the proof of the authenticity of any book

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